FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0965.PDF
NOVEMBER 2, 1916. fully inflated with air. Gas was then forced in between the envelope and the lining, displacing the air from the latter, which, when empty, was withdrawn, leaving the envelope full of gas. With the closing of the nineteenth century, the experiments of Zeppelin and Santos Dumont marked a new epoch, and there arose the nucleus of the airship as we know it to-day ; a vessel capable of carrying out all that can be reasonably required of it. The Zeppelin was fully dealt with in our last issue, and so we may proceed at once with the dirigibles produced by Santos Dumont. Up to 1901 he had built no fewer than 10 vessels, all more or less successful, and each succeeding one incorporating some improvement. No. 1, which made its [/TiGHT No. 2, which was built in 1899, was similar to No. I, but was slightly larger in diameter, giving an extra capacity of seven hundred odd cubic ft. It was also improved as regards the ballonet, which, however, was again insufficient for the purpose, and the envelope doubled over on the first trial when the gas contracted during the ascent. In no way deterred, Santos Dumont built a third dirigible, which was completed six months later. No. 3 was of the same shape, but was much more stumpy, measuring 66 ft. in length by 24J ft. in diameter, and having a capacity of 17,650 cubic ft. A bamboo keel was attached to the suspension lines, and from this keel the car was suspended. This arrange ment made for greater rigidity, and also rendered it possible to dispense with the air ballonet and pump, whilst the larger first trial in September, 1898, had a cylindrical envelope with conical ends, 82 ft. long, n£ ft. diameter, and 6,350 cubic ft. capacity. No net was employed, the suspension cords of the car or basket being attached to wood-stiffened hems sewn in the sides of the envelope. The motor, a 3 h.p. De Dion motor-cycle engine, was mounted outside and in the front of the car, and was coupled direct to a small two- bladed propeller. The envelope was provided with a pressure release valve and an air ballonet, fed by a pneumatic pump. Steering was effected by a silk-covered rudder mounted at the rear between the car and the envelope, whilst ballast weights, arranged for and aft, enabled the ship to rise and fall as desired. This little ship manoeuvred well, and the only trouble experienced was with the ballonet, which was insufficient to retain the necessary rigidity of the envelope. 957 capacity allowed ordinary coal gas to be used. The rudder was mounted as before, and balance weights slid along the keel. Many successful flights were made with this airship, including all kinds of evolutions and a flight round the Eiffel Tower. It was, however, somewhat clumsy and under-powered, so a fourth vessel was designed and made its appearance the following year. No. 4 differed considerably from the previous models, not only in the shape of the envelope, but in the arrangement of the keel, which now carried the motor— a 7 h.p. Buchet—and pilot, who sat on a kind of bicycle saddle. A tractor screw, mounted at the forward end of the keel, was also employed. An air ballonet and rotary pump and hydrogen were again employed. Numerous successful flights were made on No. 4, which
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
